Tooth wear is also a result of constant subconscious clenching or grinding to establish a comfortable jaw position. The teeth that are out of alignment, and therefore contact first or in an unusual way, tend to wear more than others.

Teeth are made up of 3 layers: the enamel on the outside, the dentine on the inside, and the nerve right in the centre of the tooth.

Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, and it may take many years to wear through this layer. The dentine, however, is much softer - it wears 7 times faster than enamel. It has a yellowish appearance, and can be clearly seen where teeth have worn.

Wear in the biting surface of a molar tooth

Wear on edges of upper front teeth

The following images compare the teeth of two 21 year old females:

Ideal Bite Cusps (pointed edges of tooth) are intact

Non-ideal Bite Cusps have been worn away completely

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